


Adoption Shelter Adventures

by overjoyedflowers



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: And his sons were like 'okay :)', And we also love animals, Animals, Basically Phil was like 'fuck it I am making this building an adoption shelter', Everyone is literally best friends with everyone we love friendships here, Everyone was like 'okay :)', Fluff, Gen, More characters to be added later, Never allow the Dream Team to look after the shelter on their own, Now it's the best adoption shelter in town, Pet Shelter, They don't know how to look after them, This is literally going to be stories of SBI and friends and a bunch of animals, You'll see why in due time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:48:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27232267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overjoyedflowers/pseuds/overjoyedflowers
Summary: Father Phil and his three adopted sons Techno, Wilbur and Tommy decide to open up a family pet adoption shelter, bringing in injured or sick animals from around their peaceful town who have been abandoned, to look after them until they find a new home.Who knew it would cause such chaos?// SBI own an adoption shelter but they don’t know how to look after the animals at all, not to mention their friends who pop in every now and then to torment them.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Comments: 11
Kudos: 205





	1. Humble Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me in a rush of motivation one night, so I hope this story ends up being enjoyable. All it will be is various chapters of SBI and friends dealing with the many animals in their shelter, and the chaos and the hardships that they get up too with them.

“Dad can we keep ‘em?”

Phil gazed down at his youngest son and the little, adorable puffball of a puppy he held in his hands, who stared into his eyes with pupils as large as tennis balls. He then caught sight of his son’s eyes, which shined with hopefulness and excitement at the animal he had found while outside. He continued to glance between the two, contemplating the options he had for this puppy.

Tommy had explained to him he found the little guy limping through the woods, and one look at the puppy’s hind legs and Phil saw the small gash that lay hidden under their fur, only visible by the caked blood around it. His heart ached for the poor animal and his predicament, how the young one ended up in a situation where he got hurt, but he wasn’t keen on taking them in. It wasn’t that Phil didn’t like animals, he’s an absolute lover of them, but their house was just too small.

The small house (if you could even call it that, Phil insinuated that it was a cottage more than a house suitable for a family of 4) they resided in was cramped to say the least, with the new family having to find ways around the minimal floor space and rooms. Phil often sacrificed himself, and allowed his sons the 2 beds and the rooms for sleep. Wilbur and Tommy shared a room with two beds adjacent to one another, and in between them was some floor space and two cabinets; one for each brother. Techno often had his own room, which he insisted on keeping as he wasn’t fond of sharing his privacy with someone constantly. That left Phil with either the couch to sleep on, or a mattress and duvet he could place on the living room floor, and he often preferred the couch as it was much easier to sort out come the morning when his sons would wake up.

With the already cramped living space, Phil couldn’t imagine how they would deal taking care of an energetic, young puppy. He himself had two jobs he was currently working, one in the local florist in town and the other as a night shift waiter at the diner down the street. Tommy would probably spend the most time around them, but with his tendencies to stay out late with his best friend and often forgetfulness of work, he figured the puppy would only increase his procrastination on workload. Techno would look after it, and feed it like it was his own baby, but with how isolated he often was he would not be willing to take the puppy out for daily walks. Wilbur would be the most suitable, but the stress he was already under over guitar lessons and increased university work would render him absolutely no free time if he also had to include space for the puppy. 

So with a sigh, the father sadly shook his head at his son. “I’m so sorry Tommy but we can’t bring in the puppy, it’s unbeneficial to our current situation.”

The excitement that left his son’s eyes almost instantly made Phil nearly cry, and he saw how his hands slightly trembled as he brought the puppy down and closer to his chest, not wanting to let go. The puppy, however, had no different reaction as before, the young animal oblivious to what Phil had just said about them, and still looking up at him with that sweet, innocent look in their eyes.

“But Dad,” Tommy pleaded, desperation lacing his voice. “We-we can’t just leave the poor guy out in the woods again, he’s injured Dad!”

“Then we find the owner of the little one,” Phil answered, walking round the kitchen island and towards the living room. The TV was still on, blaring that old sitcom that he randomly found when he was aimlessly searching for some programme to indulge into and enjoy. Before Tommy came bursting through the front door with a random puppy in his hands. 

“There’s no collar or name attached to them,” Tommy said, following his father into the living room. He sat down on the couch in the corner of the room, and placed the little pup on his lap, beginning to pet the soft fur to help calm them down. The puppy seemed to relax from their excitement, and curled up on Tommy’s legs in a peaceful position, eyes drooping. “It looks like the little one’s been living in the forest for a while, can we at least take them to the vet?”

Phil stopped in his path, and considered the suggestion. He had enough money to spare to help the little fella with his injuries, but it would mean he would have to surrender a few of Tommy’s favourite days out to places; like the theme park or cinema in the city downtown. If Tommy was willing to sacrifice these days out, then Phil wouldn’t see how it would be a problem to take the young dog, who his youngest son clearly had an attachment to, to the vet. 

“Alright Tommy, we can do that,” Phil watched as Tommy’s eyes shined again, but he continued before he let his hopes rise up too high. “But, I hope you are willing to lose a few of your days out in order to pay for the pup’s medical bills. That gash will probably cost quite a bit to disinfect and stitch up.”

Tommy nodded, unfazed by the downside. “That’s okay with me, so long as the puppy is okay.” He glanced back down at the puppy in his lap, and began to scratch behind their ears, which received a positive response from the already sleepy puppy.

Phil watched his son take care of the animal, almost a natural owner, and he smiled. Maybe there could be a way he could keep the pet, but also not sacrifice the cramped up space any more than he had. With potential ideas floating around his head, Phil sat on the couch and skipped through the channels to find one that they could both enjoy, while the peaceful snores of the young puppy echoed around the room.

Two days had gone by, and the other brothers had found out about their new, unexpected guest. Techno was surprised at first of the new animal, but he tentatively petted the other’s head and carefully fed it the dog food that Phil had purchased in the local supermarket. Wilbur absolutely loved the new guest, deciding to spend some time with them when he wasn’t working for university, and teaching the dog tricks. Tommy continued to spend the most time with the pup, and was often the one who took it out on quick walks as to not injure them more, but to also get in their exercise. 

Phil had managed to contact a local vet who was willing to examine the puppy with a fairly cheap price. In the early Spring morning, the father bid goodbye to his eldest son Wilbur as he carried the puppy towards the direction of the veterinary. The walk was very peaceful and pleasant, and the young puppy did not startle him or cause any trouble during the journey. When he reached the pristine, white and green building, he entered the doors and walked towards reception. After taking his name, he found a seat in the far corner where he situated himself and rested the puppy on his knees.

He had to admit, the adorable, golden puppy had grown on him a lot. The little bursts of excitement they had when around Wilbur, the eagerness to play and spend time with Tommy, the understanding of Techno’s mutual relationship he had formed with them, it was heart-warming how obedient and kind this young puppy was. The puppy even allowed Phil to pick them up and carry them to another room with minimal protesting. He could make the living space in the house for the puppy work out, he would be able to rejig some furniture and provide more room for the puppy to move about in. In that moment, Phil realised he didn’t want to let the little one go.

When his name was called, he entered the vet’s office and brought the puppy onto the examination table. After quick pleasantries and a strained explanation from Phil, the vet began to examine the puppy for any other injuries than the obvious. Phil anxiously waited off by the side, glancing around the sterilised room for the vet to finish his examination. He caught sight of one of those kid’s cartoon comics that were situated around, this one depicting a story of how to behave in the office of a vet. After a while, the vet explained that it only looked to be the small laceration that was causing the puppy to limp, and it wasn’t that hard to disinfect or stitch up. Phil was thankful that the puppy was okay, and as he petted the top of his head while the vet stitched him up, he blurted out the question he had been dying to know for ages:

“Is this puppy currently owned by someone?”

The vet raised their head, and stared at Phil with a confused glance. He sheepishly looked down and explained that the puppy wasn’t theirs, and he was wondering if he did belong to someone. The vet quickly finished up the stitching, and made her way over to the computer. Putting in the necessary information into the database (so it was a Labrador breed, Phil realised), and scrolling through the recently missing list, the vet pulled back with a shake of her head. This small gesture filled Phil with slight joy that he didn’t have to let go of the puppy after all.

“Not that I can see,” the vet concluded, turning to Phil with a smile. “Why? Would you like to adopt him?”

Phil nodded, unable to contain his smile. “My sons and, I guess even I, love the little fella a lot, he’s so energetic and bubbly, and gets along so well with my youngest who found him. It wouldn’t hurt to adopt him, would it?”

The vet shook her head, smiling back. “Not at all, I should be able to retrieve some adoption papers for you to fill out. Shame there isn’t really an adoption centre in this village, it will take a while for these papers to go through.”

“There isn't?” Phil inquired, slightly shocked. He had believed the town had an adoption shelter, but apparently this little town could only hold so many buildings and shops. “Huh, would it be good to have one here?”

“Oh absolutely,” the vet exclaimed, stepping towards her computer to fill out the forms. “It would make this finicky, long process so much easier if we had one situated in our town. There’s buildings available to do it, they are abandoned but just a few little refurbishments and they could easily be transformed into an adoption shelter. One day, hopefully, we will have one in this town. Anyway, Phil, what’s your phone number again?”

All while Phil answered and gave his details, he began to wonder about the buildings around the town and the potential adoption shelter. He knew of a good building that he could transform into one, a previous doctor's establishment that was now too small to handle the resident’s nowadays, and had been abandoned on the outskirts of town. It would take a while, Phil realised, and a lot of continuous effort to reshape the interior of the building, and even add extensions on the outside, but it just might work. And he couldn’t help but try.

After filling out all the necessary papers, Phil walked the Labrador puppy home, who was much more lively than he was beforehand. The little guy no longer limped along the path, rather he skipped and pounced forward on small insects on the ground. He watched the puppy do so, and how his tail wagged excitedly when he caught something, or how his tongue hung out constantly. Phil was glad the puppy had grown on him.

Taking him in through the doors, he came across his three brothers situated on the living room couches watching TV. When they heard the door creak open, Tommy was the first to dart into the hallway to greet him, kneeling down next to the puppy and allowing him to lick his face over and over. Phil continued his walk into the room, where Techno and Wilbur seemed to be invested in a conversation about something while the news channel murmured on like background noise. Phil coughed slightly to alert them to his presence, and the two of them looked up and smiled.

“Hey Dad.” “Hi Dad.”

“Sons,” Phil greeted in return, glancing out the corner of his eye as Tommy came back into the room with the Labrador by his side. “I have good news. The little puppy Tommy found a few days ago does not have a family,” he could see the heartbreak appear in Wilbur’s eyes, but he continued before his son cried. “However, that does not mean he wont have a family, and the best place I could think of for a family is here, with us.”

“Really?!” Tommy’s excited yell made Phil turn to face his youngest, and he nodded in delight to the others' questions. He gasped and quickly turned to the Labrador, petting it more enthusiastically than ever. The puppy only yapped in response to this newfound attention, headbutting into Tommy’s leg. “Can we name him?”

“Sure,” Phil said, turning to face all of his sons again. “He needs a name.”

“Hmm how about… Fido?” Tommy suggested, but Wilbur protested.

"No, too formal, I like Chance,” he chimed in, nodding his head to his own response as if proud of the name. Techno disagreed, making it clear by his loud scoff.

“No, absolutely not. I think Asher would be cool,” Techno included, and Phil listened as his son’s began to bicker over different names for their new pet Labrador. The father shook his head in disbelief, none of these names would be ideal for their little golden guy, and so he entered the conversation with his own preferred name.

“Guys, guys,” they all fell silent, turning to face Phil from where they sat. “All of your names don’t fit our new puppy at all, in my opinion, so I would like to present you the name Buddy as a pretty nice one for our little guy.”

“Buddy..” Tommy tested the name on his lips, seemingly repeating the word silently over and over to familiarise himself with it, until finally he nodded. “Yeah, I like Buddy.”

Techno shrugged, but Phil could tell his second eldest was smiling at the name. “I don’t mind that name.”

Wilbur nodded, in agreement with the rest of the family. “Then I guess his name is Buddy,” he declared, before dragging himself up off the couch and walking towards the little guy on the other couch next to Tommy. He kneeled down and began to pet his head, watching as the bright, black pupils stared into his own with wonder, and Wilbur smiled. “Welcome to the family, Buddy.”

Phil smiled at the scene, and then he brought up the conversation he had with the vet about the adoption shelter. His sons seemed to nod in agreement, until finally Techno chimed in that they could potentially complete the task of turning the old doctor’s surgery into a shelter. Phil was thankful that Techno was hopeful over this project, and that he managed to convince Tommy and Wilbur on board with the idea too. After that, Phil began to contact owners of the previous building and set out the legal contracts for this new establishment.

The process took about 6 months, and it was a very stressful 6 months. During that time, Phil had quit his previous job as a waiter to free up more time that he could devote to the building, and even Wilbur dropped his guitar lessons (Phil was extremely upset his son did that, but the latter insisted he was getting tired of them anyway). Throughout the legal processes, Tommy and Techno often helped refurbish the place along with the other professionals they called in, especially with repainting the walls to a nicer colour than the mundane brown the previous owners went for (Phil ignored how they also decided to cover themselves in the paint). It was long and gruelling, and Phil was scared it wouldn’t work out in the end, until finally the process was over, and he stood right in front of the building.

It was perfectly new, and he didn’t even recognise the doctor establishment beforehand that resided here. The exterior had been decorated with small paw prints in green that ran up the side of the building and followed a pattern, a feature that would become a staple in their recognition to locals passing by. The windows were new and shiny, reflecting the sunlight onto the freshly mown grass outside dotted with carefully planted dandelions and roses. The interior was even better, with clean walls and patterned green and white flooring which ran throughout the different rooms and enclosures. Most of the rooms were empty, but the building was complete and exactly how he envisioned it. In about a month's time the place would be full with animals desperate for a home, and he would be at the forefront of taking care of them along with his sons.

Stepping outside, Phil glanced up at the specifically chosen name for their shelter. The name was a group name that was founded after a long night of playing games together as a family, and they were now sending each other random pictures on their phones. Each image sent made the four people crack up laughing, and jokes echoed effortlessly as humour bounced between them. He had called themselves the Sleepy Bois, and it stuck with them whenever they ended up doing things as a family, especially late at night.

The Sleepy Bois Inc Adoption Shelter was now open for business.


	2. Rabbit Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil helps take care of the 3 rabbits in the new rabbit enclosure, and finds that his eldest son is very interested in the little jumpy friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never once owned a pet so I am going off of pure quick research as to what these animals are like and what they eat, if I end up getting anything wrong I am so sorry.

It had been 2 years now since that monumental day.

Phil was in a position that he could quit his previous day job as a florist, and pursue fulltime employment in managing the Sleepy Bois Inc Adoption Shelter, which was a much more entertaining job than he formerly thought. At first, dealing with relentless phone calls from eager business opportunists and equally as eager economic advisors had been stressful, but once he managed to climb the first step of the social ladder, the stress had watered down to barely anything. The calls were now weekly with advisors, and most calls he received were from the local public who either wanted to adopt one of their beloved animals, or hand over their pet to the shelter for care after issues that rendered them unable to look after their fuzzy friend left them with no other option. He enjoyed taking those calls from the public, and he often found himself smiling as he discussed the variety of animals on offer to a willing owner.

Now, he was tasked with the opportunity to open up the rabbit enclosure he had been wanting to open for years, and welcoming in new rabbits that required a cosy home and specialised care. Phil couldn't resist sporting a large grin on his face as he walked through the shelter's halls towards the new enclosure situated outside, where the three new rabbits had been brought in yesterday by Techno and Tommy. Rabbits had been one of Phil's favourite animals, especially when he spent time with his grandad's white and honey-speckled one, who was energetic in nature and loved the affection Phil gave her. When he got older, he had resisted the urge to go out and purchase one of them when in his new home, as his eagerness to own his own rabbit clouded over the reasonable judgement that he was still in university. But that was back then, when he was feebleminded, young, exhilarated Phil, not the more calm, reasonable, kind Dad he was now. 

"Good day Phil," George called from the opposite side of the hall, replicating the smile on the former's face in a friendly greeting. Phil nodded a greeting in response. George had been a volunteer at the adoption shelter for 9 months now, and was an expert at taking care of the animals around the shelter. He often wore a blue button up shirt that lay untucked from his dark blue jeans, which accompanied his neatly polished white shoes. He couldn't be more thankful for receiving the offer of volunteered help from locals in the town, especially locals like George who seemed to have a deep understanding of the animals, which made him a natural at calming those who panicked suddenly, or felt cornered. 

"Good day George," Phil called back, before he turned the corner and approached the door at the end. Carved very carefully into the wood of the door, was a detailed rabbit that stood up on it's hind legs, ears perked right up. The wood carver had come in a week ago and decorated the door in preparation for the rabbits that would move in, and Phil still wasn't over how adorable the carved rabbit looked.

Opening the door, he stared towards the big hut at the back of the enclosure, where the three rabbits would make themselves a home. Hopping from one side of the enclosure from the other, Phil spotted the first rabbit - a Mini Rex breed - in the pack, who seemed very lively for it being 10 in the morning (Thumper would be his name). The next rabbit Phil saw was resting in one of the entrances to the hut, peacefully chewing on some fresh grass ripped straight from the ground a few feet ahead of them (from the small size of the rabbit he realised it was a Holland Lop breed, and Phil decided to name them Caramel due to their very similar fur colour to the delicacy). The final rabbit of the group was probably in the hut, Phil figured, as he walked over to the bucket mounted on the wall. He picked up a scooper and a bowl from the nearby pile, and began shovelling the fruits and vegetables mix into three separate bowls. 

The occasional purring from the rabbits made his heart swell as he prepared their meals.

Carrying the three dishes over, the final rabbit had finally appeared from the hut, a fluffy, black and white rabbit of the Jersey Wooly breed (Oreo would be a nice name). The vets who brought the little pets to the shelter had explained that they were domesticated rabbits who had been found wandering the road outside the village, and needed a new home. He felt bad for them being out in the world all alone, but now that they were safely nestled in the shelter he could hopefully provide a better home for them. They sat patiently on the grass, staring up at Phil as their nose slightly twitched every so often. The other two rabbits joined them, resting nearby as he bent down and placed each bowl separately in front of the three rabbits. Almost instantly they began to tuck in, chewing the freshly cut carrots or peeled apples. He pulled back with a smile and glanced at their water tank, figuring they still had enough to last till closing he left the room.

However, not before he spotted the curious figure of his eldest son, Wilbur, watching the scene from one of the corridor windows. Phil had to stifle a laugh as Wilbur realised he had been caught, and swiftly shuffled away to avoid an embarrassing conversation from his dad, and reminded himself to talk to his son about the chance to show him how to take care of rabbits. 

Few days had passed, and Phil had finally managed to catch the attention of his eldest son at the shelter (Wilbur had grown up so much, the dad realised, as he had moved out into a new flat already to be closer to his university and was on his final year) during lunchbreak. When he offered the opportunity to teach him how to take care of the three rabbits, he could see the joy that filled Wilbur's eyes almost instantly, which was followed by a frantic nod of agreement. He smiled, telling his son to meet him at the enclosure later on today for the final feeding time, before he left his son at peace for his lunch while he tended to the hamsters.

Hours had gone by like minutes, and here Phil stood inside the rabbit enclosure again, Thumper resting in his cupped hands as he peacefully slept, tired from the energy he had used up while hopping about the grass. He stroked the rabbit gently and waited for his son to walk through the door, and he glanced around the exterior surrounding the enclosure. A line of trees provided privacy of the shelter to local residents, and he could see the birds perched upon the higher branches plucking their feathers and chirping their songs to those who listened. The place was peaceful for the little rabbits, and Phil was thankful for that. He wouldn't want them to be distressed while living in the shelter.

"Dad?" a voice called, and Phil turned to see his son standing in the doorway, decked in his usual attire of a yellow sweater and dark jeans, accompanied by a familiar red beanie that he remembers buying at a store on holiday once when he noticed his son liked beanies. He appeared to be out of breath, as if he had just sprinted here from the University (and Phil internally cursed as he realised that Wilbur _was_ just at the University).

"Wil you didn't have to-," Phil began, but was cut off by Wilbur raising his hand quickly.

"It's alright," he interjected, still breathless but smiling widely, "I would like to learn to look after the rabbits please," the boy caught sight of Thumper in Phil's hand, and awed as he stepped closer and reached out to pet him, "Awhhh whose this little guy? Whose this little guy?"

Phil watched with a smile adorning his face as his son petted the rabbit, his hand moving gently and slowly as to not startle the little one awake, and he couldn't help but feel prideful. This was the son he had raised; a son with a caring heart that yielded to those much weaker and much more vulnerable in the world; a heart that made his son promise to help out those around him in dire situations and be the best person he could possibly be. A son that he felt was a perfect replica of himself, but yet entirely different at the same time. 

"This is Thumper, want to meet Caramel and Oreo?" he asked, and Wilbur pulled back with an even bigger smile on his face, nodding instantly. So he walked over and placed Thumper carefully into the hut, and spotted Caramel sitting in the corner picking at grass with her paws. Silently walking over, Phil gently reached out towards the rabbit as he kneeled down, and waited for her to make the move. The light brown furred rabbit hesitantly hopped forward, until finally she allowed Phil to pick them up and take them over to Wilbur, who was still in shock at the interaction with Thumper.

"Here's Caramel," Phil introduced as Wilbur petted her, his strokes just as gentle and slow like before, "She's a Holland Lop breed, a common domestic rabbit to have as pets. They need groomed frequently, and often are friendly, curious animals. Caramel likes to take an interest in us as we pet her, so do allow her to sniff you out if she wants to do that."

"She's gorgeous," Wilbur muttered, entranced as he petted her fur.

"I think Oreo is sleeping right now," Phil commented, noticing the lack of the Jersey Wooly breed in the enclosure, before gently placing Caramel down on the ground and walking towards the bucket mounted on the wall. Wilbur followed, eager to start feeding the rabbits like he had seen Phil do a few days ago, and how lively they looked as he had done so. Once he reached the bucket, he followed his dad's footsteps as he picked up a nearby scoop and shovelled the freshly purchased fruit and vegetable mix into the bowls for the three rabbits. Once he finished that, he attempted to carry all three bowls over at once, and surprisingly spilled minimal food as he placed the bowls out for the rabbits to eat.

Phil watched his son kneel in front of the hut, and spotted the rabbits keenly hop over to their bowls and eat the food, and he smiled. He still had some assignments to complete before the end of today, and figuring his son could take care of them without causing a hassle, he quietly made his way towards the exit. With one hand grasping the handle, he turned back to Wilbur, who was still enthralled by the rabbits. "I'm gonna head out now to finish some paperwork, you take care of Thumper, Oreo and Caramel okay?"

Wilbur laughed a little, looking over his shoulder him. "I will dad."

And he watched as his dad chuckled back in response, before he stepped through the door and allowed it to close behind him as he walked away, leaving Wilbur alone with the two sleepy rabbits and one very lively rabbit. Glancing back at Caramel, he watched the smaller one chew carefully on the carrots in the bowl, and he figured out what he could do now with the rabbits. He remembered reading up somewhere that he could teach them tricks if he tried well enough, and so fuelled with this idea that he could teach a rabbit how to give a paw, Wilbur turned towards the bucket and the small table at the side where the bowls sat beside the bags of fruit. Spotting some raspberries, an idea formed in his head as he got to work on teaching some new tricks. 

Most of the day had passed now, and the afternoon sun was beginning to fall behind the crowns of the trees and the housing estates of the town. The filtering light covered Phil's office in an array of different hues in beautiful patterns, and he yawned as he stood up from his desk, stretching out his tired limbs that had been working to fill in the paperwork that littered his desk. He had been proud at himself for being able to finish nearly a stack of the paper lying around him, and they would be ready to be filed away in the huge metal cabinets behind him. Turning to slot some papers in, Phil smiled at the picture hung up on the cabinet by a metal magnet; it was of him and his three sons when they were younger, and on some trip out to the beach. He was standing in the middle, both of his arms wrapped around Wilbur and Techno, and Tommy was situated in front of the three, arms outstretched and smile wide as the photo was taken. Placing the papers away, Phil reminisced on the many good memories he had with his sons throughout the years.

Speaking of his sons, he knew that both Tommy and Techno would be home right now, as they popped in to retrieve an extra set of keys for the house from him as Tommy "accidentally" lost his pair (Techno had later texted him that the younger was carelessly doing tricks with them over a drain, which ended disastrously). That only left Wilbur, who he probably figured was still in the rabbit enclosure if he hadn't entered his office (his son usually wished him goodbye everyday at the door to his office before he caught the bus towards his new flat). Phil gathered up his things and locked the office door, before making his way towards the rabbit enclosure, wishing a good evening to the night janitors he occasionally passed on the way.

Entering the rabbit enclosure, he nearly called out to Wilbur until he saw the scene in front of him; his son was still kneeling on the neatly mown grass, but he had Oreo situated in front of him while he held his hand out to him. Then, his son said the word "Paw", and Phil watched - in awestruck surprise - as Oreo raised up his white-and-black speckled paw and placed it on Wilbur's hand, which was received with a cheer from the man as he fed Oreo some sort of raspberry delicacy. Phil couldn't believe it, his son had taught the rabbits tricks in such a short amount of time; and they achieved them flawlessly.

"Roll over," Wilbur said, and Oreo quickly got on his back and rolled over to the side, before rolling back and standing up again, glancing straight towards Wilbur's closed fist which, Phil figured, contained the delicious treats he so desired. He watched as the fist unclenched, and the final of the raspberry sweets was placed in front of Oreo, who shuffled forward and ate it quickly. Wilbur raised his hand forward and pet the rabbit, being careful of his ears as he did so.

Phil knew he couldn't watch this scene forever, especially as the enclosure was beginning to darken as the rays of light faded faster and faster.

"Son," Wilbur nearly jumped out of his skin, but he turned to face Phil with a sheepish smile on his face. Phil wondered if he smiled like that because he had caught him in the act of teaching the rabbits tricks, or if he felt embarrassed for how long he spent inside the enclosure. "It's getting late, we have to head home and rest now. The rabbits will still be here tomorrow, and you can teach Oreo some more tricks if you'd like."

Wilbur nodded, giving one last final pet to the white and black rabbit before he stood up and made his way over to Phil, all while he watched Oreo slowly shuffle back towards the hut where his friends lay, resting from the outside world. He picked up his coat from the table and slipped it on, turning to Phil as he held open the door for him. Stepping through and out into the hall, he waited for his dad before they made their way out.

"You're getting on brilliantly with them," Phil commented, turning to face him from where he walked, and Wilbur could tell he was being genuine in his words.

"I know," Wilbur responded. "I absolutely adore them, Phil, they're so cute and fluffy. Oreo, that was their name right? Yeah, Oreo is amazing at tricks, whenever I offered him some raspberry he almost instantly got the trick I tried to teach him. Did you see him do the roll over? It took no time at all for him to complete that."

"You spoiled him rotten Wilbur," Phil noted.

Wilbur laughed. "Maybe I did, but I promise to spoil Caramel and Thumper rotten once I teach them tricks."

"You better hold that promise, I am not wanting favourites in this adoption shelter."

"Favourites that are internally kept and does not affect the animal physically or mentally is okay right?" 

Phil paused for a second, before he sighed in realisation.

"Oreo's your favourite isn't he?"

"... no."

Phil laughed, knowing the obvious hesitance showed the true answer to Wilbur's question. Wilbur only turned away, trying to hide his flushing cheeks at being called out by Phil over the rabbit he clearly favoured over the others. Despite his insistence of 'no favourites', Phil knew that was not possible as one animal would always be more open to affection from him, and he would be drawn more to them than the others. Hell he had a favourite bird in the bird enclosure down the hall, as they would always flutter down and land comfortably on his shoulder whenever he entered the room. Wilbur's statement was the most reasonable approach to favourites, Phil figured. 

"It's alright Wil, favourites are okay so long as they don't affect the other animals like you said," Phil answered, and Wilbur smiled again as he turned to face his dad. They had made it outside now, where they would part ways as Phil would get into his car and drive home, while Wilbur would catch his bus further into town. "Take care son, and have a goodnight's rest. You're doing great from what the University have told me, and don't you ever forget that I am so proud of you and what you have achieved. You're going to go far, son, farther than you think you can. So keep testing your boundaries and limits, it's the only way you'll see the true potential you've got."

Wilbur's smile widened. "Thanks Dad."

Phil smiled in response, and watched as Wilbur turned and made his way out the parking lot of the building, and onto the street in the direction of the bus stop. When he could no longer see the tall, beanie-wearing man, he turned and walked towards his own car situated at the far end, hidden in the shadows of the towering trees. It would be a pleasant drive home tonight, and Techno would have made some dinner already for him and Tommy - with the leftovers spared for him, and if he was lucky enough on timing he wouldn't have to microwave them once he got home. Phil leaned back in his seat as he allowed the popular music to play from the radio as he drove through the streets illuminated by the dying sunlight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how frequent updates will be, but hopefully I can get a chapter out at least once or twice a week depending on school work (I am in my exam years so I do have to put school first), already the support for this story is overwhelmingly sweet and I'm glad you petals are excited for what comes next :)

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos' and comments are very much appreciated, along with constructive criticism! :)


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